Dumbo NYC

(Photos by Paul Raphaelson)

There is a photo exhibit at the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library by artist Paul Raphaelson. He lived and photographed in Dumbo from 1995 through 2004 before being evicted from the artist loft building on Plymouth Street. (The most famous of the evictions in Dumbo was the 247 Water Street building which we referenced in a previous post.) Raphaelson’s photos are a reminder of what the community of Dumbo Brooklyn used to be and how much it has changed in just 5 years. “While walking the streets of DUMBO with a camera, I was vaguely aware that these pictures might be of historical interest someday. And that day came sooner than I ever expected. The changes have been so swift and indelible that the old neighborhood already seems gone forever.” We asked him about Dumbo past and present:

When did you live in Dumbo? Why did you leave and where are you now?

I lived in Dumbo from 1995 to 2004. I left when my landlord, who is probably the best known of the artist slumlords east of the Brooklyn Bridge, decided to clear out the building. I had it easy… he gave me plenty of notice. In previous years he tried to empty buildings by flooding people out, orchestrating raids by the Department of Buildings, and even arson. In my case it seemed his plan was to empty the whole block, get it rezoned, and convert the buildings to luxury lofts. But zoning attempts were thwarted by the state, and most of those buildings, including mine, are still empty.

I moved to an old brewery in Bushwick. It’s a very different neighborhood. It lacks DUMBO’s grandeur. It also has a thriving local population. In DUMBO the artists were pioneers; in Bushwick we’re guests.

Why did you first move to Dumbo and how would you describe the area when you first moved there?

My friend Anne McDonald lived there. I met her at the opening of a group show that we both participated in, and she persuaded me to visit. I had been living in Providence and considering a move to the city, so the timing was perfect. After walking down Jay street and Water street and setting foot in her space, I knew I had to live there. I gave notice at my job and started packing immediately.

Back then the neighborhood felt huge and empty. You could walk blocks without seeing a soul. There was something powerful in the quietness and austerity of the landscape. That quality is still there, but it’s been heavily diluted by the crowds and development. Today it feels a bit more like a film set than the real thing.

You titled your exhibition, Wilderness, which is what Dumbo was in the 90s. What are your thoughts on what Dumbo has become?

Upper West Side South!
Which you might be able to say about most of Brooklyn, and Manhattan, and Queens…

Very true. There will no doubt be many more changes to Dumbo in the next 5 years, and it’s not easy to live in Dumbo affordably, but we hope the artists here today will continue to be a part of the community.

—

October through December 2008
Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Heights branch (1st floor)
280 Cadman Plaza West at Tillary St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201

If you would like to be considered for an interview, please contact us at dumbonyc@gmail.com.
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(Photo: David W. Dunlap/The New York Times)

From the NY Times: The Brooklyn Bridge The walkway across the bridge was not divided into lanes for walkers and bikers in 1978. The financial district looks much the same, save for the absence of the twin towers.

 85 Water Street, circa 2001 (Photo courtesy of Mo’s Fo-Toes’)

 85 Water Street, 2008 (Photo courtesy of tinygines)

Originally built in the 1830’s, the landmarked building, known as 85 Water Street was used as a pepper mill before it became vacant from 1950 until about 2003. It was then renovated by Two Trees and Bob Vila featured on “Bob Vila’s Home Again” in season 14 in 2003. The rehab and renovation episodes are interesting and can be viewed online at BobVila.com.

The rehabilitation removed an elevator shaft, converted each of the three upper floors to separate living spaces, and remodeled the commercial space on the ground level. Chris Vila worked with Dumbo’s architectural team of Della Valle and Bernheimer Design to create a contemporary living space while preserving the historic elements of the building.

The New York and Washington, D.C.-based Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects & Planners also helped in the architectural restoration and worked to gain Landmarks’ approval since the building is part of the Fulton Ferry Historic District. The initial plans added another set-back floor on top. However, the LPC denied this plan.

Although the renovation took place only 5 years ago, the building keeps its historic character and now consists of a ground floor with a retail tenant, Almondine Bakery, and three upper rental units (offered by Two Trees) plus a roof. The teams did a great reno job by keeping the building’s bones in tact, and now, Dumbo is lucky to have one of the best bakeries in the city located at 85 Water Street.

{Season 14 - Waterfront Warehouse Rehab, BobVila.com}
{Google map of 85 Water Street}

The Bar and Grill Park in Dumbo does not have a bar nor does it allow grilling. The green patch is named after Between the Bridges Pub that used to be across the street on the corner of York and Adams Streets. The building that housed Between the Bridge Pub (then 63 York Street), along with two other buildings were torn down in 2004 to make way for the 23 story 85 Adams Street (aka Beacon Tower) condo building. (We followed their progress in 2006.) We’ve found some great photos from Joel, who followed the progress of 85 Adams Street building.

(Photo by joel, dated 02-Mar-2004)

Corner of York and Adams Street (Photo by manny, dated 10-Apr-2003)

A daycare is planned for the corner of York and Adams Street (July 2008)

Also, in the current exhibition of the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Tony Linberger has a painting, titled Podium, of the pub:

Please comment if anyone has any good stories of the old longshoreman’s pub.

More photos of 85 Adams construction after the jump.

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 1938 [+ enlarge]

 March, 2008 [+ enlarge]

In this series of “Dumbo Streetscapes Then and Now”, a 1938 photograph by Percy Loomis Sperr of the corner of Front and Jay Street looks southwest from the west side of Jay Street. A previous Then and Now post is also on the corner but facing northeast.

Both the old and new photos have some common elements: the Manhattan Bridge approach and the 110 York Street building on the left and the small sliver of the existing building at 126 Front Street (the building where Superfine and Spring are located) on the right. The 70 year old photo shows three 2-3 story structures replaced by a 33 story residential building, J Condo (100 Jay Street), built in 2006. In both photos, the fire hydrant stays where it is. The 110 York building is the Scarano Architect headquarters, which added the Jetsons-like structure on top.

On the back of the NY Public Library photo:
“Jay Street, west side, south from Front Street, showing in the background the approach to the Manhattan Bridge”, April 4, 1938

{New York Public Library photo of Front and Jay Street, 1938}
{Google Street View, corner of Jay and Front St.}
{Dumbo Then and Now, series, DumboNYC}

 1927 [+ enlarge]

 July 22, 2007 [+ enlarge]

Continuing the series of “Dumbo Streetscapes Then and Now”, we are looking at a 1927 photo of the corner of Front and Jay Street. In the 80 year old photo, by photographer, Percy Loomis Sperr, the rowhouses on Jay Street no longer exist. There used to be five three-story rowhouses and one larger six-story building on this block. The five row-houses have since been demolished and replaced with various storefronts and gallery space. The north side of Jay Street has four buildings:

• 73 Jay St. - Formerly a Lipton Tea cafe and The Jay Restaurant (as seen in the old photo). Currently is Pedro’s Restaurant.
• 67 Jay St. - Formerly a 3 story townhouse built in 1910. It is currently 3 floors with a Chinese antique furniture and home decor store, Jay East (jayeast.com) (owner: Guttman Vera)
• 65 Jay st. - Formerly a 3 story townhouse, rebuilt into a 4 floor building. The current ground floor retail is From the Source, a crafted/reclaimed wood furniture store (fromthesource.us) and a photography studio in the floor(s) above (65jay.com). The owner is 65 Jayat Realty Corp.
• 57 Jay St. - Now a 6 floor commercial building owned by Haim Joseph

On the back of the NY Public Library photo:
“67-73 Jay Street, east side, north of Front Street; No 73 is at the corner of Front Street, Nov 1, 1927
P.L. Sperr”

The now photo isn’t as interesting without the Belgian Block streets.

{New York Public Library photo of 67-73 Jay Street, 1927}
{Property Shark: 73 Jay St}
{Google Street View, corner of Jay and Front St.}
{Dumbo Then and Now, series, DumboNYC}

The Geography and Map Division of the U.S. Library of Congress holds more than 4.5 million items. A small fraction of them are available digitally online, including maps of Brooklyn. Below are details of a map from 1872. Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Queens Expressway hadn’t been developed yet, so there is no Pearl Street Triangle or Cadman Plaza. In the detail of what is now known as Dumbo, there used to be a “Talman Street” (?) parellel to York and Prospect Streets, now Bridge Park 1. Other streets that no longer exist are Charles Street and Green Lane, now part of the Farragut Housing Project.

 [+larger] Map courtesy of Library of Congress, 1872

 [+larger] Map courtesy of Library of Congress, 1872 (detail)

{Brooklyn (New York) [1872?] Map, M. Dripps}

…at least until something is built on that spot.

 August 4, 2007 (39 Front Street, Monthly parking $275)

One year ago: August, 2006

Previously:
{Nova Clutch building at 39 Front Street, 20Apr07}
{Goodbye Nova Clutch Building, 20Jun07}

It’s been a while since I’ve posted “Dumbo Streetscapes Then and Now” photos. Here, we are looking north down Jay Street (towards Manhattan) from Front Street. Step outside to the right out of the York Street Station on the F train and this is the view you see. In the first photo, the 68 Jay Street building is front and center with a sliver of 20 Jay Street behind it and a faint view of the Empire State Building across the river. This 70 year photo (1937), by photographer, Percy Loomis Sperr, show the water towers on the 68 Jay Street building (currently removed, except for the base). On the right side of the photo, there are buildings which no longer exist. The Jehovah’s Witness lot (85 Jay Street) currently occupies a parking lot there. On the back of the photo:

Jay Street, west side, north from a point south of Front Street, to the East River. In order, are the buildings occupied by the Grant Union Tea Co.; the John Maury Paint Co.; and the Arbuckle Bros. Coffee Co. In the background towering over Manhattan, is the Empire State Building. (March 9, 1937)

 1937 [+ enlarge]

 July 21, 2007 [+ enlarge]

A similar photo, dated April 4, 1938, is shown below. On back: “Jay Street, west side, south from Front Street. (Eugene L. Armbruster Collection)”. This photo has the two and three story buildings on the left side of Jay Street, now occupied by J Condo (100 Jay Street). The advertisements on the water towers note “Lofts for Rent, 68 Jay Street”.

 1938 [+ enlarge]

{New York Public Library photo of Jay Street N. Front Street, 1937}
{New York Public Library photo of Jay Street and Front Street, 1938}
{Google StreetView}
{Dumbo Then and Now, series, DumboNYC}

Although not a typical DumboNYC Then and Now Series photos, below are drawn maps published by Two Tree Management circa 2002 and the newly published map of 2007. Brooklyn Eagle first published a story about these maps back on March 22, 2007. From Brooklyn Eagle:

“The one less cluttered is about five years old and the other one was produced this year. These two maps are worth more than a thousand words. The first one shows an early stage of the creation of this new neighborhood and the new one shows what has happened in about 60 short months since then, including the erection of two new buildings, one at 100 Jay Street and the other at 85 Adams Street…”

Also discussed are the increase in retail stores and art galleries

“For the first map it was possible to display about 23 retail or gallery outlets, almost all clustered between the bridges. It showed four lonely buildings, only one identified, north of the Manhattan Bridge…[The new map] now lists 77 outlets…”

 2002 Map courtesy of Two Trees Management (click for larger or download below)

 2007 Map courtesy of Two Trees Management (click for larger or download below)

As Brooklyn Eagle states, maybe in less than 5 years, there will be another version showing new buildings, new retail, and a bigger Brooklyn Bridge Park.

{Newly Published Map Shows Dramatic Growth in DUMBO, Brooklyn Eagle, 4/13/07 (requires subscription)}
{Dumbo Map 2007 [pdf format 5335kb]}
{Dumbo Map 2002 [pdf format 471kb]}